MINI has unveiled its new Convertible model, which will be launched in both Cooper C and Cooper S versions, meaning that for now there’s no all-electric MINI Convertible.
Same platform as old MINI
There WAS an all-electric MINI Convertible, as a run-out version of the previous MINI last year, but the new electric MINI is built on an entirely separate platform, and for now is only made in China, whereas this new petrol-fuelled Convertible is actually built on the same chassis as the previous version and is made at MINI’s traditional home in Oxford.
As before, the soft-top roof retracts electrically and sits on top of the rear structure of the car, meaning that the boot lid has to be hinged at the bottom - just like an original 1959 Mini. Once again, there’s a ‘sunroof’ section in the top, which opens just the front part up to 400mm without having to retract the sidebars or the rear section of the roof. This can be done at any speed.
18 seconds to put the roof down
If you want full retraction, you’ll need to be travelling slower than 30km/h, but a rapid 18-second retraction process means that you don’t have to go slow for too long. If a shower comes along, the roof takes just 15 seconds to go back up again. There are pop-up rollover bars which deploy in the event of a crash, incidentally.
Because part of the roof structure sits within the boot, you’ll have to pack carefully as, with the roof retracted, there’s a mere 160 litres of luggage space, whereas with the roof up you get a slightly more useable 215 litres. The MINI Convertible is a full four-seater as before but the space in those rear seats isn’t going to be great for big people, so most owners will likely use those for storage anyway. To help keep all occupants comfortable when the roof is down, there’s a pop-up air deflector behind the rear seats.
Three-or-four-cylinder petrol engines
Cooper C models use a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine developing up to 163hp and 250Nm of torque, with 0-100km/h of 8.2 seconds. Combined fuel consumption is 6.5 litres per 100km, and CO2 emissions stand at 147g/km.
The Cooper S gets a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine making up to 204hp and 300Nm of torque, which will push it to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. Its CO2 emissions are only slightly higher than those of the Cooper C, at 148g/km, while fuel consumption is quoted at an identical 6.5 litres per 100km.
Exterior styling mostly mirrors that of the new MINI hatchback, but instead of the slim LED triangular brake lights of the new hatch, the Convertible uses older-style lights at the back, albeit with LED signature lighting.
The model lineup mirrors that of the hatch, with Classic, Exclusive and Sport versions. Classic cars get a back-trimmed front grille, 16-inch four-square ‘Spoke’ alloy wheels on the Cooper C or 17-inch ‘U-Spoke’ dark grey alloy wheels on the Cooper S, ‘Melting Silver’ exterior body colour and black/blue ‘Vescin’ cloth combination seats and dashboard knit as standard.
Exclusive trim includes a ‘Vibrant Silver’ front grille and MINI logos on the front and rear of the vehicle, 17-inch U-Spoke grey alloy wheels, British Racing Green exterior body colour, Nightshade Blue Vescin seats and a light beige/grey dashboard knit.
Circular OLED screen
Finally, Sport trim features a performance inspired appearance with a distinctive front and rear design. A high gloss hexagonal patterned front grille surround, front and rear apron and black brake callipers with JCW badging are all standard, while 18-inch JCW ‘Lap Spoke’ two-tone alloy wheels complete the exterior design.
Inside, the MINI Convertible inherits the round 9.5-inch OLED digital dashboard from other new MINIs. There’s no driver instrument panel unless you specify the car with an optional head-up display. The dashboard and doors are covered in a technical fabric, rather than plastic or leather, and there are lighting systems which display graphics and patterns on that fabric depending on which of the MINI Experience driving modes you pick. There’s also a ‘Hey, MINI’ digital voice assistant which uses an on-screen cartoon avatar called ‘Spike’.
For the ultimate in tech, you can use your smartphone as a digital key, which automatically triggers the welcome animation of the front and rear lights as soon as the driver is less than three metres away, while the doors are unlocked when the driver is less than one and a half metres from the car.
Irish pricing for new MINI Cooper Convertible
The first examples of the new MINI Convertible should hit Irish shores in early 2025. the Cooper Convertible C costs from €36,730, while the Cooper Convertible S starts at €43,990.